For the Sharks to end their season-high three-game losing streak, it's not so much getting new acquisitions and injured regulars back in the lineup. It's getting players already in the lineup to re-appear.

"I don't know why some guys are playing so content because they shouldn't, " coach Ron Wilson said. "Because by the end of the week we'll have a healthy lineup and some guys are actually making my job really easy."

Trade deadline pick-up Curtis Brown expects to make his debut tonight when the Sharks host the New York Islanders, who possess the final playoff spot in the East over the versatile forward's former team, Buffalo.

San Jose also is close to getting defensemen Kyle McLaren (lacerated forehead), Tom Preissing (sore thigh) and Mike Ricci (shoulder) back as well. Veteran defenseman Jason Marshall, acquired for depth last week from Minnesota, is rehabbing a minor injury in San Jose and is a paperwork-move away from joining the roster if the Sharks so desire.

"I don't want to put pressure on Curtis, but I think he can help our team quite a bit," said forward Alyn McCauley, a Team Canada junior squad teammate of Brown's in 1994. "And getting the injured guys back will add experience, maybe calm us down a little out there, and get us back to the way we know how to play."

Goalie Evgeni Nabokov, the NHL's defensive player for February, has suddenly gone cold. He's been relieved in two of this last three starts while allowing 11 goals on 60 shots faced.

On defense, inexperienced mistakes are creeping in at critical times and McLaren's tough, physical presence is clearly missing.

Up front, players who have been steady are slumping. Acting captain Patrick Marleau is scoreless with just five shots on goal and sporting a minus- 5 in three games. Wayne Primeau is a minus-8 in his last four. Jonathan Cheechoo is scoreless in four straight and has just four shots on net. Until chipping in a pair of assists Tuesday night, Nils Ekman was scoreless in his last six contests.

"Some guys haven't played very well for a while, they've been carried by others," Wilson said. "Now they slow down a little bit and no one wants to step forward."

"For whatever reason, mentally we've gone into a valley and we could use a little pick up," McCauley added. "Maybe right now Curtis is going to inject a little bit of playoff enthusiasm that maybe we've been taking for granted lately."

Wilson is counting on the 28-year-old Brown to help on faceoffs immediately.

"Maybe he'll get Patty Marleau going again because Patty's been in a little bit of a funk without Marco in the lineup," said Wilson, referring to Sturm's season-ending ankle injury Friday night. "Maybe Curtis can be the guy who jumpstarts him and gets a few other guys going as well. At least it gives up options right now."

After tonight, all 12 of San Jose's remaining games come against Western Conference opponents. And half of those are versus top division rivals Dallas (two) and Los Angeles (four). While their division lead has slipped to a mere two points, the Sharks also see a once-comfortable 15-point lead on 9th place dwindle to eight.

"Because we've had success everyone's patted themselves on the back as they should, but I think there's a misconception how we've achieved it," McCauley said. "By supporting each other and making 5-foot passes, not 25-foot saucer passes for one-timers, we've just grinded it out. Maybe it hasn't been pretty, but it's been very effective. We need to do that again."